Hayes retires as old order maintains advantage
John ‘the bull’ Hayes retired from rugby after 60 minutes of last night’s Rabodirect Pro 12 win over Connacht.  Bruff, Shannon, Munster and Ireland have all benefitted hugely from his 14 year career in the game which straddled the resurgence of Irish club and international rugby.
He famously missed the celebrations after Ireland’s Grand Slam win to be back on his farm in County Limerick.
Leinster easily beat Ulster in the second of the festive double header between the Irish provinces.
Kauto hailed as ‘greatest ever’
Kauto Star sealed his place as one of the greatest steeplechasers of all time after winning a fifth William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park yesterday.  It was a magnificent performance for a horse who many believed had given way to a younger generation last season.
John Francome hailed him as ‘The greatest we have seen’. Jockey Ruby Walsh put his greatness down to an ability to beat the very best over such a long period of time.  The 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run was second in the race.
Pictures of his victory and his jumping will adorn sports pages for many years to come, putting subscription racing Channel Racing UK to the fore as sponsors of Ruby Walsh.  Jockey sponsorship, particularly for an Irish audience could do with promotion to a wider base of commercial partners, cutting across race sponsorships as it does., giving a great return for winners at the big races for a modest outlay.
Dunne bemoans negative attitude
Tonight’s RTE2 documentary on the Irish soccer team’s qualification for Euro 2012, The Cat is in the Bag, contains an interview with captain Richard Dunne bemoaning the lack of respect for the Irish team among supporters and media.
“They want us to win, but they also want us to win better,” he says before recounting a story where the team went to a boxing night and listened to cheers for the Rugby and Cricket teams before being booed themselves.
Dunne will not appreciate this being highlighted as a main plank of the show as he believes the media are in part responsible for the negative attitude around the team.
Kevin Doyle reveals that the management and players look to Greece in 2004 as an inspiration for how an underdog team that is hard to beat can go all the way.
NBA gets underway at last
Almost two months late and in a season now shrunk by 16 games, the NBA season finally got underway on Christmas Day.  The Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and New York Knicks came out on top against the LA Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics in a star studded opening set of fixtures.